


A Simple Stetson

by california_112



Category: due South
Genre: Canon Dialogue, Episode: s01e04 They Eat Horses Don't They?, Friendship, Gen, My First Work in This Fandom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-15 08:56:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28935897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/california_112/pseuds/california_112
Summary: Looking away, Ray grimaced. "So what's the second?" He followed Fraser's eyeline to the right, alighting on- "The meat? What, you wanna climb inside a cow?""Horses, Ray, and we won't be going inside them," Fraser said, taking out his knife, "If we wrap ourselves in cuts of the horse meat, it will preserve what body heat we have left."It was clear that the detective wasn’t too keen on this plan, to put it lightly.-or-Inside the meat freezer, between the scenes. Why was Ray wearing Fraser's hat?SPOILERS FOR S01E04 'THEY EAT HORSES DON'T THEY?'
Comments: 3
Kudos: 3





	A Simple Stetson

"You know Ray, the Inuit have ways of dealing with extreme conditions. Ruling out cannibalism, we have two options."

Ray gave a sarcastic sigh. "Can't wait to hear this."

"The first is close body contact." Fraser ignored his friend's sarcastic look. "We hug each other tightly, exchanging body heat, that should give us…ten minutes."

Looking away, Ray grimaced. "So what's the second?"

He followed Fraser's eyeline to the right, alighting on- "The meat? What, you wanna climb inside a cow?"

"Horses, Ray, and we won't be going inside them," Fraser said, taking out his knife, "If we wrap ourselves in cuts of the horse meat, it will preserve what body heat we have left."

It was clear that the detective wasn’t too keen on this plan, to put it lightly.

"Shouldn't we try running, or something?" Ray began jogging on the spot. "This thing's pretty big, we could do a few laps and then-"

"The windchill would negate the heat gain, especially in temperatures as low as these." The Mountie's knife found home in a horse's flank. "We need to stay still and small, to stop ourselves from cooling to a fatal level."

Accepting the truth in his friend's words, Ray looked around and found another knife, setting about another carcass.

"At least it won't be bloody," Fraser pointed out, trying to look on the bright side, "that's all frozen inside the tissue."

"And then we'll be frozen inside the tissue." Their piles of crude horse steaks grew as they worked. "At least you've got your nice thick uniform, all I've got is th-this thin jacket, thin pants, and beautiful, though thin, silk shirt." Ray was talking just to take his mind off the cold, even as it burrowed deeper into his bones. "And, you're used to it."

"I don't get shut in meat lockers regularly, Ray, in fact I've never been in one before." Fraser replied, hacking away at a new carcass. "The last time I got this cold was when I was on Banks Island on a training exercise, and a storm blew up. We were prepared, of course, but already near exhaustion from the day’s trek. Well, I remembered something I had once read about, that hunters use if they get stuck whilst out tracking, and I was explaining it to my group when-"

"Do we got enough meat yet?" Ray interrupted, no longer able to deny that his digits were becoming less dextrous. "I don't wanna lose a finger in here."

Fraser continued cutting up the last of his horse. "This would actually be one of the best places to injure yourself. You see, as your blood is moving around your body at a slower rate, and far less to your extremities, you wouldn't lose too much blood until you were at your usual body temperature again."

"Great, I'll bear that in mind when they shoot us." Ray wrapped his jacket tighter around his slighter frame. "Is this enough?"

"Yes, this is fine. Now," Fraser gathered up an armful of frozen steaks, "you sit down on that crate and I'll pack it around you."

"How will you get it around yourself?"

"I'll manage."

Ray sat down, gathered his clothing tighter around him, and huddled. His friend began to wrap him in a patchwork of red and white, pausing only to remove the detective's handcuffs from his belt.

"That's optimistic." Ray grunted.

"They’re also metal, they conduct the cold." Fraser reasoned. "You'll retain more heat without them."

He continued in silence, layering the meat over Ray's torso and legs, noticing as his friend stopped shivering. Once done, he surveyed the seated figure, then removed his Stetson and placed it on Ray’s head.

"What's that for?" he asked confusedly, trying to look up at it without moving too much.

"Like you said," Fraser explained, turning away to construct his own meat suit, "I'm used to this."

"And like you said, not like this, you aren't." Ray argued. "Take it back."

"I don't need it, really." Fraser was balancing steaks on his shoulders. "When I was on that training exercise, all I had was my fur hat."

"Which is way warmer, you need this thing!" He began to try and take out one of his arms to force it back, and Fraser thought of something quickly.

"Ray, I really didn't want to make a comment about your hair, but if you keep this up, then-"

That did the trick, and the arm stopped struggling. "Alright, alright."

By now, their breath misted into almost opaque clouds as they breathed out. Fraser had been optimistic in his calculations, but knew the truth of it: dry cold or not, there was a very high chance that they wouldn't get out of there alive. When he had as much of himself covered as possible, he stilled, bowing his head. He was very aware that lots of his back uncovered, and prayed that some help would arrive soon- why hadn’t they called for backup? He was bought out of his reverie by Ray's voice.

"Some people die in their sleep. Others die making love to a beautiful woman." He made a sound between a chuckle and a shiver, almost on the verge of tears. "I am gonna die wrapped in meat."

"Don't talk, Ray," Fraser struggled to keep the shiver out of his voice as he spoke, "you're expending body heat."

Ray didn't care anymore, though still desperately tried to lighten the mood. "I'm gonna freeze to death inside My Friend Flicka."

"Sh."

For a few moments, the silence was broken only by the whirring of the cooler, and constant reminder that the temperature was still dropping. It seemed that they had both settled down into their survival bid when a single broken word was spoken.

"Fraser?"

"Yes, Ray?"

There was no response. Glancing at his friend, the Constable saw what he had been afraid of: closed eyes in a face uplifted with a terrifyingly sad expression.

"Oh-oh."

The Stetson could have saved him. That hat could have helped Ray retain a little more heat, most of which was lost out the top of the head. But now, Fraser was forced to accept what the gesture had been: too little, too late.

**Author's Note:**

> sorry for the sad ending...
> 
> My first Due South fic, just over a week after I first watched an episode. I've lots more plans, but unfortunately not much time...! :( Hopefully I'll finish the Christmas works soon :'D All feedback is appreciated!


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